St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-11-19
A cOOOLv HERITAGE.
Why Ours = N Excsealngly Pleasant Tlms
70 Live In.

Why Oars = n Ezcseal.sly Pleasant Time
% Live II.
There has been . vast increase in CEN
.enarians Of late. Formerly person
who reached the age Of one hundred
years was rare curiosity; now there
is hardly county in the country that
IAN not boast its ccntcnarian. An
eminent German Psychologist main
aims that there is really hundred
years wear in every healthy human
organism, and that all persons who die
before their first century is completed
fill untimcIy graves. According TO
his theory (Which we will not stop to
examine too closely. every person
who dies before he reaches the centen-
NAL miIe-post tcmpts his fate by rough
and improper usage. and unnecessary
wear and tear.
But. at any rate. the longevity Of tho
race is undoubtedly being very rapidly
increased by the increased conformity
hygicnic laws. and by modern APP
alliances Of comfort and cleanliness.
Il has been too much the habit Of old
men t. glorify the hardihood of the
men OF their youth. and the sturdy de-
'elopment which they imagined re-
mlted from the constant bat&le wage,l
with harlships and discomfort.. They
TOAST Of the feat Of sitting through
long. nineteenthly serwc-- In unlscatesl
churches in the depth OF winter. and It
gc.-x out into the snow barefootei.
IN their early childhood. and climbing
mp to bed into a rickety garnet from q
ladder on the outside. They love tn
boast a the stalwart men. developed
from those children who slept directly
under a roof that failed to stop the
snow.
But the delusion that exposure makes
people more hardy is passing away.
The poet Whittier. in recent interview.
said that his constitution was under.
mined early in life by these early expo
sures. The biographers Of Lincoln
speak cmphatically about the mortality
and diseases which resulted from the
exposures and harlships Of the early
pioneers Of Illinois Rheumatism. the
inevitable penalty Of exposure. and tho
varied diseases developed by its weak
lning effects on the system brought
nany naturally strong men to their
Acath on the wrong side Of the fifty
milestone. To-day business or pro-
fessional man is considered in his zenith
at fifty. in vigorous working trim al
sixty, and many hesitate to yield up
the active duties Of life at seventy-iivc
or eighty.
This increased vigor and longevity is
doubtless due to the Increased COM
forts Of life. shorter hours of labor. =
better knowledge Of the laws of health
and Uhough we know our elderly read
ers will vigorously disscnt) to higher
plane Of morality and correct living.
Again the people Of to-day do not worry
Sd much over non-csssentials. They
have no snch supcrstitious reverence
for signs and Omcns. no dread Of the
supernatural tcrrors Of ghosts and
witches. no helpless anxiety about hope
less and unsclvablc theological prob
lens. no such bitter partisan rancor in
politics. Though the activities Of life
are increased there is not 50 much fric-
ton. People are more tolerant and
less disagreeable in their convictions.
There is more coler to life. more at
mosphcre. greater diversity Of amuse-
ment and greater opportunities Of self
entertainment.
Benjamin Franklin used to mourn
because he was not born farther ahead
in the future. that he might become
. contemporary witness Of the inevit-
able Improvements and progress Of the
race. No such wish is justifiAble for
citizen of the present age. In short
the conviction must be forced home
upon every man who stops to consider
the subject, that we are in a better age
than has ever preceded it. Our lines
are cast II pleasant places. We have
= goodly heritage. Yankee Blade.